Shutter-dissolve for motion-picture cameras.



I. E. LEONARD. SHUTTER DISSOLVE FOR MOTION PICTURE CAMERAS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.20, 1917. RENEWED FEB. 12,1919.

1,297,703. Patented Mar. 18, 1919.

Inl-arl.

JOHN E. LEONARD, OE vLos ANGELES. CALIFORNIA.

sHUTTER-DissoLvE EOR MOTION-PICTURE CAMERAS.

Application led April 20, 1917, Serial No. 163,500.

Tov all lwhom t may concern Be it known that I, JOHN E. LEONARD, a p citizen of the United States, residingcat Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles` and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shutter-Dissolves for Motion-Picture Cameras, of which the following is a specification. t

This invention relates to 'a motion picture cameraJ and particularly pertains to a shutter mechanism and -a dissolve therefor.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a shutter for instantaneously eX- posing a photographic film to light rays.

Another Obj ect of this invention is to provide ,means whereby the interval of exposure may be regulated during the continuous operation of the camera.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for permitting the interval of exposure of the iilm through the shutter opening to be gradually increased or decreased as desired, and thereby produce a. dissolve effect upon theilm.

Another object of this invention is to provide simple means for :controlling the interval of *exposure by the shutter without danger of interrupting the operation of the camera or placing undue strain upon any of its parts.

Another obj ect of this invention is to 'pro- Vide means in combination .With al shutter and particularly for easily changing the shape and size of the aperture through which the'light rays are admitted to the photographic film; y

It is a further object of this invention to provide a mechanism of the above character which is formed of few parts, easily 'assem- Ibled and operated, and which are not liable to become objectionably worn, or otherwise rendered inoperative. 4

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention is illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying drawings in Wh ich Figure 1 is a view in side elevation illustrating a motion picture camera wlth parts broken'y away to more clearly disclose the combined shutter and dissolve mechanism.

Fig. 2 is an enlargedfragmentary view in section and elevation disclosing the shutter, its'drivingmechanism and the dissolve control therefor.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged v-iew of the shutter u discloses the means :for olii shape the exposed the size and aperture,v as seen on thesection line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view in elevation disclosing the dissolve control with the front case removed to more clearly set forth its construction.

Flg. 5 is a vileW` in elevation illustrating the dissolve control 'as it appears with its front case in place and further discloses the means for accurately determining the interval of exposure effected by the shutter.

Referrmg m-ore particularly to the drawings, 1.0 indicates a camera case upon which is mounted a film magazine 11. The case is here shown Ias secured upon a supporting baseblock 12. This lblock` is formedwith a perpendicular lens support 13 to which a lens battery 14 is secured. Mounted within the camera easel() is la. shutter Imechanism 15 which lntermittently permits light to pass in through the photographic lenses and to fall'upon a photographic film.

The shutter Is composed of two elements.

AA continuous circular shutter member 17 and an auxiliary semi-circular screen 18. The shutter member '17 is formed with an exposure aperture 19.`. This aperture is formed with an outerarcuate edge and radial sides. As here shown, the aperture 1? 1s of a length slightly less than one-half circumference of the shutter member 17. The shutter member 17 is mounted upon driving sleeve 20 and the screen 18 is ixed `to the end of a driving sha-ft 21 over which .means of a. driving gear 213 in mesh with a gear 24 which is securedupon the sleeve 20. The gear 23 is indirectly driven by the crank-shaft 25 which is rotated by a suitalble crank controlled by the operator, 'as will be understood. v

- The separate mountings of the shutter member 17 andthe screen' 18 are provided so that the screen may loe adjusted to regulate the size of the exposure opening through the shutter.' This is accomplished by mean of the peculiar differential gear set 26 withl whim both. sleeve 2G and the shaft Specification of Letters Patent.v Patented Mail. 18, 1919. i

I Renewed February 12, 1919. Serial No'. 276,605.

terminate. The sleeve 20 is fitted with a small lpinion 27 mountedwithin a differential gear case 28. The shaft 21 is fitted with a pinion 29 corresponding in diameter to that of the pinion 27 and disposed upon the same axis. The pinion 27 is connected to the internal gear 30 by an idler 31. An idler pinion 31 is in meshl With the internal gear 30 and also in mesh with the gear 29 upon the shaft 2,1. This pinion 31 is mounted. upon a shaft -32 which is secured Within a radial lever arm 33'. The lever arm 33 isv formed with a bearing which permits it to be rotatably mounted upon the end of the shaft 2l. A pointer 34 is formed upon the opposite end of the lever arm and may be observed through an opening 35 in the end of the cover plate 36. In this manner .the exact position of the screen 18 may ibe` determined in its relation to the'shutteropening 19. y

In operation, the entire shutter mechanism is driven by rotation of the shaft 25 which, as previously-described, transmits power through a gear train to the gear 23 and then-ce to a gear 24. This gear is secured upon and adapted torotate with the shutter sleeve 20. As the sleeve 20 rotates the shutter member 17 will be continuously rotated, as well as the gear 27, upon the opposite end of the sleeve. The rotation of this gear 27 will transmit motion through the idler 31 to the ring gear 30, which motion will thereafter be transmitted from the ring gear through the idler pinion 31 to the pinion 29 which is secured upon the end of the shaft 21.V Due to the fact that the pinions 27, 29 and 31 bear ay fixed ratio to each other and the ring gear, the pinions 27 and 29 will rotate in unison, under normal conditions. As the shaft and sleeve rotate in unison they will cause the shutter member 17 and the screen 18 to maintain aconstant relation to each other and will, of course, fix the size of the aperture 19.y In order that the shutter will rot-ate Without acceleration due to the lightness of oneof its sides through which the opening 19 has been made, a series of balancing lugs 42 have been distributed along the rim of the shutter and willl pla-ce the member in-equilibrium.

When it is desired to change the size of the aperture 19, the lever 33 is manipulated `and swung \upon its pivotal bearing on'the.

end of the shaft 21. Movementof this lef ver will cause the smalll gear 31 tobe swung around the shaft 21and, due to the; ,fact that it is in mesh with the internal g'ar30 and the pinion '2,9 and the internal gear 30 is in mesh with :the gear 31 meshing with the pinion 27, it will cause the shutter member 17 and the screen 18 to move relative to each other lto increase or decrease the size of the exposure aperture 19 and this operation may be performed While the shutter is running at full speed. The train of gea-rs 27, 31', 30, 31 and 29 serve to connect the sleeve 20 carrying the shutter member 17' to the shaft 21 carrying the screen 18'for simultaneous operation, and manipulation o f the handle 33 4serves to increase or decrease the size of the shutter -aperture 19 Without in any way interfering With the oplVhile I have shown the preferred con-` struction of my shutter dissolve for motion picture cameras as now known to me, it Will be understood thatvarious changes in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts may be made by those skilled in the art Withou-t departing from the spirit of my invention. v Y

I claim:

1. In a shutter construction forcameras, a sleeve, a shaft extending through the sleeve, a shutter member upon one end of Y the sleeve, a second shutter member upon the corresponding end of the shaft, a pinion upon the other end of the sleeve, a second pinion upon the shaft beside the first pinion, an internal gear, an idler connecting the first pinion to the internal gear, an idler connecting the second pinion to the internal gear, means for rotating the sleeve, and means for moving the idlers to and from each other.

2. In a 'shutter construction for cameras, a sleeve rotatably mounted, a shaft extending through the sleeve and rotatably mounted in the sleeve, a shutter member fixed Vupon'one en d of the sleeve and having an exposure aperture, a secondshutter member fixed upon the corresponding end of the shaft and adapted to cover and uncover the exposurev aperture, a pinion upon the opposite endof the sleeve from the shutter member, a second pinion upon the shaft beside the first pinion, an internal gear rotatably mounted and concentricio'the pinions, an idler connecting the first pinion to the internal gear, an idler connecting the second pinion to the internal gear, a lever pivotally mounted upon the shaft; the shaft of one of the idlers being fixed in the lever; and a handle upon the leveryso that by manipulating the handle the -idlers may be moved to and from each other to enlarge or reduce the exposure aperture 3. In a. Shutter construction for cameras, a sleeve rotatably mounted, means for driving the sleeve, a shutter member fixed upon one end of the -sleeveand having an exposure aperture, a shaft rotatably mounted in the Sleeve, a second shutter member fixed upon the end of the shaft against the first shutter member and adapted to cover and uncover the exposure aperture, a. pinion 'xed upon the opposite end of the sleeve from the shutter member, a second pinion fixed Iupon the shaft beside the rst pinion, an internal gear rotatably mounted concentric to the pinions, an idler connecting the rst pinion to the internal gear, a lever pivotally mounted upon the shaft, an idler shaft fixed in the lever, a second idler upon the idler shaft and connecting the second pinion to the internal gear, a pointer extending from the lever, a handle extending from the lever, and an indicator adjacent the pointer; so that by manipulating the handle and observing the pointer the size of the exposure aperture may be adjusted.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 25 name to this specification.

JOHN E. LEONARD. 

